The New Travel Thread: Now with write ups in the OP

Discussion in 'The Mainboard' started by Jax Teller, Apr 8, 2015.

  1. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    More time in Hvar my dude. I would try to break it up:

    Tues aft: Fly Budapest to Split
    Tues-Wed: Split --> go to Hvar on Wednesday
    Thurs: Hvar
    Fri: Hvar
    Saturday: ferry to Dubrovnik
    Sun: Dubrovnik (maybe one night in another Croatia town on the way down?)

    I only spent a few hours in Split while we waited on the ferry to Hvar, so can't really comment.
     
    dahldennsull and CTownND like this.
  2. Arkadin

    Arkadin inefficiently efficent and unclearly clear
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    Splits cool. Good for a couple days. But I like hvar, dubrov, zadar better
     
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  3. CTownND

    CTownND Well-Known Member
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    Are there like cultural/historical things to do in Hvar or is most of the attraction for the partying/relaxing/beaches/etc.?

    Seems like a good amount of cultural/historical stuff in Dubrovnik
     
  4. Arkadin

    Arkadin inefficiently efficent and unclearly clear
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    There are wineries and old city shit away from the main party/port area. Right on top of the main port there's a really cool old fort that's good for s couple hours on a hike
     
    CTownND likes this.
  5. Arkadin

    Arkadin inefficiently efficent and unclearly clear
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    You will not have any problem filling multiple days in any croatian city that's zadar size or bigger
     
  6. mc415

    mc415 Well-Known Member
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    You will have no problem having stuff to do there trust me
     
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  7. AptosDuck

    AptosDuck Pedantic Hausfrau
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    Dubrovnik is nicest when the day trippers have gone. Great place to relax in the evenings, although I'm sure there are other nice places along the Croatian coast to do that too.

    Got into Boston this evening. Ride in from Logan to the North End was fast and easy, then a quick dinner of gnocci di vitello at Riccardo's
     
    mc415 likes this.
  8. CoastalOrange

    CoastalOrange Well-Known Member
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    How long are yall planning to go? Where are yall wanting to stay? Any particular things you are interested in?

    A few quick thoughts-

    - Go ahead and get the Visa online ahead of time. Just easier not to deal with it later on. The website looks sketchy and fake but it's legit, the symbol on the website is an old plane.

    - Download Maps.Me and pre-download a map of Havana. This worked pretty dang well on the trip. Not perfect but still worked well so I never felt really lost.

    - Everything is in cash so take around $100-$150 per day per person down there and exchange it as you go along. I took out a fair amount of money at the airport (first floor right before you exit and head to the taxis). Then you can go to the bank to exchange, which is a process and I would only recommend if you or your wife speak Spanish. Or some of the nicer hotels do it as well. Be warned though, we tried on the final day and the internet was down (apparently for the entire country) so we couldn't do the bank or the hotel.

    - Pre-pay for as many things as you can before heading down there. It makes things easier. We pre-paid for the AirBnb, a cooking class (HIGHLY recommend), our day trip to Vinales, and a few other odds and ends. Made things easier.

    - Stay in the Old Havana area. We stayed at this AirBnb (Casa O'Reilly, O'Reilly 164) and it was a fantastic location and the host was great (her neighbor even moonlighted as our taxi driver when we needed it). She gave us a local phone to use, plus had a wifi hotspot so we could contact our family each night. Also, our AirBnb host scheduled a taxi to pick us up from the airport, which was nice not to worry about the hustle and bustle of finding a cab.

    - There isn't really wifi and your phones (nor CCs) will work so you have to purchase internet cards that cost 2 CUCs for an hour of internet, though you still need a hotspot. They have them in the public parks so you could sit out there if you wanted but it's easier if your AirBnb has it for you.

    - Everything about your surroundings will scream that you are in an unsafe area, but in reality, I felt perfectly fine the entire time we were there (with a little issue the last night though I think that was more so in our heads instead of an actual issue at all). Since so much of their economy is based on tourism, they have some really harsh penalties for Cuban nationals who accost or assault foreigners (5 years in jail if a police officer sees you being accosted and feels its too much; 25 years if they assault a foreigner and we press charges).


    I have plenty of other recommendations and advice to give you but I need some guidance as to what you are looking for on the trip. A few places to eat, things to do/see regardless of your plans would be:

    - Fabrica de Arte- its a warehouse that was turned into a bar/art museum. Really cool but get there early to avoid a massive, very slow moving line. Also, if possible, have a cab lined up ahead of time for when you are ready to leave because outside of there is a little sketchy. It was the only place I was offered drugs while in Cuba and I was offered it about 5x. So it can get a little weird.

    - Sign up for the cooking/mojito class at Ajiaco Cafe. You will have to take a cab out there which should run you $15-$20 CUCs but it is worth it. Fantastic time with all you can eat food (the food is fantastic) and all you can drink (they make mojitos a little different using honey and it is now my preferred way). Plus, afterwards you can walk down to the water that inspired Hemingway to write Old Man and the Sea. This was probably my favorite thing we did while there.

    - La Bodeguita del Medio is ok but it is overly crowded and the drinks are not strong. However, right up the road from there is a pirate ship looking bar on the side of the road. it was right around the corner from where we stayed and we loved grabbing drinks there at the end of each night and watching the craziness of the crowds and people selling trinkets outside of La Bodeguita.

    - Eat at El Chanchullero (dinner) and El Cafe (breakfast/brunch)

    - Everyone will suggest La Guarida and I found it to be a really cool venue with decent food but nothing outrageously amazing. However, they do have a rooftop bar and right up the road from it (diagonally across the street from the entrance facing away from the Capital) is another rooftop bar which is nice for sunset, La Concordia.

    - A nice hotel that had a good rooftop bar in Old Havana was Ambos Mundos Hotel (can also exchange money at the front desk if they are not busy and the staffer feels up to it).

    Those are some good starting points. I can give you a bit more information as well, just give me some idea of what y'all are looking for on the trip.
     
    Fran Tarkenton, ohhaithur, WC and 4 others like this.
  9. mc415

    mc415 Well-Known Member
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    Or you can go to Cuba the old fashioned way like I did in 2004 illegally it’s much more exciting :)
     
  10. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    Rank these Central American destinations:

    -Belize
    -Guatemala
    -Costa Rica
     
  11. LeonardWashington

    LeonardWashington Leader of Tuanon
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    For people who have done New Zealand- north island or south island?
     
  12. 941Gator

    941Gator TMB's resident beach bum
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    Florida Gators

    See my write up on Costa.
     
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  13. southside

    southside Well-Known Member
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    Belize should be the last Central American country you go to before El Salvador IMO.

    CR, Guate, Belize
     
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  14. Arkadin

    Arkadin inefficiently efficent and unclearly clear
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    Costa has it all and it can be either touristy or not. Should be on everyone's list imo
     
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  15. Arkadin

    Arkadin inefficiently efficent and unclearly clear
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    FROM: Chicago (ORD)

    Brussels (BRU) - $273

    Vienna (VIE) - $289

    Zurich (ZRH) - $274


    FROM: Newark (EWR)

    Geneva (GVA) - $304

    Paris (CDG) - $278

    Vienna (VIE) - $328


    FROM: New York City (JFK)

    Geneva (GVA) - $265

    Paris (CDG) - $291

    Vienna (VIE) - $289


    FROM: New York City (LGA)

    Paris (CDG) - $249


    FROM: Baltimore (BWI)

    Dublin (DUB) - $290

    Geneva (GVA) - $304

    Lisbon (LIS) - $306

    Vienna (VIE) - $328

    Zurich (ZRH) - $284


    FROM: Washington DC (DCA)

    Dublin (DUB) - $272

    Zurich (ZRH) - $284


    FROM: Washington DC (IAD)

    Brussels (BRU) - $312

    Geneva (GVA) - $304

    Lisbon (LIS) - $306

    Vienna (VIE) - $328

    Zurich (ZRH) - $313


    FROM: San Francisco (SFO)

    Zurich (ZRH) - $304



    WHEN: Late October 2019 through March 2020, including Thanksgiving, but excluding Xmas/NYE
     
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  16. PJP3

    PJP3 Well-Known Member
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    I had the same question before I went and consensus was pretty heavy in favor of south. So I only did south and Wellington but loved it and if going back would probably opt to go explore more of the south before doing north.
     
  17. 941Gator

    941Gator TMB's resident beach bum
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    Jax Teller my Costa post.
     
  18. The B1G Kucktis

    The B1G Kucktis 2 years, VARSITY!!
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    Concur
     
  19. Alshon

    Alshon Well-Known Member
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    South, but North isn’t as far behind as most say.
     
  20. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
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    i'll be doing North in September

    saving South for next time when I spend >5 days in the country

    in retrospect I should have booked a longer stopover but that fare deal was like a 30 minute window
     
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  21. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    What part of the city do I want to stay in Barcelona?
     
  22. 941Gator

    941Gator TMB's resident beach bum
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    Cruise companies refunding money
     
  23. bwhit21

    bwhit21 Well-Known Member
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    Just got back from there a couple weeks ago. There’s a summary a couple pages back if you’re interested.

    I focused on the South, but stopped in Auckland. Ponsonby is a good place to stay in Auckland.

    Highly recommend Queenstown, Wanaka and Kaikoura. I enjoyed the ride out to Milford but weather is hit or miss. Would love to do Nelson, Mt Cook and the ferry between Picton/Wellington.

    Would love to explore the North at some point, too, so just a matter of personal preference of what you want to do first.

    If you go to Queenstown then check out my buddy’s brewery, Altitude Brewing.

    We were short on time so flew to different regions instead of driving. There’s literally no airport security so flying is pretty efficient.
     
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  24. Arkadin

    Arkadin inefficiently efficent and unclearly clear
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    TO:

    Ponta Delgada (PDL)


    FROM:

    Baltimore (BWI) - $584

    New York City (JFK) - $470*

    Pittsburgh (PIT) - $584

    Richmond (RIC) - $584

    Washington DC (DCA) - $584

    Washington DC (IAD) - $584


    * - nonstop / direct


    WHEN: July through August 2019
     
  25. Gin Buckets

    Gin Buckets Well-Known Member
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    Atlanta to Ponta Delgada (Azores) for $684 during July. (I did this using google flights and the dates I chose were random, but 7/16-7/30)
     
  26. Walt Disney

    Walt Disney #Dawgzy
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    You’re the man

    We are staying 4 nights/5 days

    Have an all day Airbnb-tour to Vinales cuba one day, where you get to ride horses and also go to a cigar farm

    Doing a snorkeling Airbnb tour in Varadero one day

    Both tours Provide the transportation

    So we will have 1.5 days to explore Havana
     
  27. Walt Disney

    Walt Disney #Dawgzy
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    The support for the Cuban people option still lives
     
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  28. CoastalOrange

    CoastalOrange Well-Known Member
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    We did the Vinales tour as well. It is a long day and a lot of time spent in the car. But it is neat seeing the tobacco farm and you can purchase cigars directly from the farm (so bring some cash...and if you don't mind picking me up a few of them, I wouldn't be mad about it and would be happy to pay you for them), which are pretty solid cigars. The horse riding was nice but pretty quick. We did a lunch on the way out and it had an amazing view of the valley.

    IMG_5066 (1).JPG
     
  29. CoastalOrange

    CoastalOrange Well-Known Member
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    I loved the cooking class but with only 1.5 days to explore, you might not want to dedicate that long to it. There is so much to see just walking around Old Havana. I still suggest Fabrica de Arte one night (maybe before the Vinales tour as yall can sleep on the ride there). As far as food, I would still suggest El Cafe (breakfast/brunch), Orielly 304 (lunch/dinner), and El Chanchullero (dinner). And I still suggest sun set cocktails on the roof of Ambos Mundos Hotel. Drink as many mojitos as possible and don't be afraid to ask them to top you off with some more rum.
     
    Walt Disney likes this.
  30. Arkadin

    Arkadin inefficiently efficent and unclearly clear
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    TO:

    Paris (CDG)


    FROM:

    Charlotte (CLT) - $365



    WHEN: July through early October 2019 and April 2020
     
    CoastalOrange likes this.
  31. Arkadin

    Arkadin inefficiently efficent and unclearly clear
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    TO:

    Paris (CDG)


    FROM:

    Fort Lauderdale (FLL) - $265

    Miami (MIA) - $265



    WHEN: Generally September 2019 through April 2020, including Thanksgiving but excluding Xmas/NYE
     
  32. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    Who was the OSU poster (I think) that had good experience with Banff? Corch marcus ?

    Have some questions about camping and reservations.
     
  33. Walt Disney

    Walt Disney #Dawgzy
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    Got the republican side of the fam rallying together to try and get us to not go to Cuba

    :dealwithit:
     
  34. Todd Bonzales

    Todd Bonzales Sex with old ladies for money aaaand bear traps.
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    Not I, sorry
     
  35. 941Gator

    941Gator TMB's resident beach bum
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    Florida Gators

    hahah under what premise/argument?
     
  36. Jimmy the Saint

    Jimmy the Saint The future is a benevolent black hole
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    Because President Dipshit said so IMO.
     
  37. Arkadin

    Arkadin inefficiently efficent and unclearly clear
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    Yeah that ones pretty obvious
     
  38. Walt Disney

    Walt Disney #Dawgzy
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    That the Cuban government will hold us captive in revenge because they will be mad at Americans

    Hopefully we will have a Ben Afflek movie made about our escape
     
  39. 941Gator

    941Gator TMB's resident beach bum
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    Florida Gators

    He is the commander and chief.
     
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  40. CoastalOrange

    CoastalOrange Well-Known Member
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    Best quote I heard while down there was our AirBnb host's neighbor who also helped taxi us around. He said, "it's a government to government issue, not a people to people issue."
     
    WC likes this.
  41. RJF-GUMP

    RJF-GUMP Daubert Qualified in Cooler Thermodynamics
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    Staying at Windsor court for first time for a conference. Was debating whether it was better or equal to the Ritz. The rooms may be nicer. Just had mother's for breakfast. The grits and biscuit were the highlight. The ham is not the best in the world contrary to the slogan. I'd argue plain ole honey baked ham is better. Liked the hole in the wall atmosphere.
     
  42. Oranjello

    Oranjello Well-Known Member
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    Windsor Court rooms are better than Ritz NOLA for sure, but outside of that I'd probably take the Ritz for its bars and proximity to other things. Windsor Court is kind of "stuffy" for the French Quarter.

    Go hit up Manolito for some great cuban food and one of the best mojitos around.
     
  43. aspenbuff

    aspenbuff Well-Known Member
    Colorado BuffaloesSan Francisco GiantsSacramento KingsOakland RaidersSan Jose SharksUSA Rugby

    Have stayed in both Poble Sec and Eixample and liked both. Eixample is a little more centrally located, especially for standard tourist type stuff, but Poble Sec has more of a local, less touristy vibe.
     
    BamaNug likes this.
  44. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    Decent fairs to Saigon

    TO:

    Ho Chi Minh City (SGN)


    FROM:

    Los Angeles (LAX) - $580

    New York City (JFK) - $641

    Ontario (ONT) - $619

    San Francisco (SFO) - $563

    Seattle (SEA) - $609

    Vancouver (YVR) - $732 CAD

    Washington DC (DCA) - $551

    Washington DC (IAD) - $539



    WHEN: Varies by route. Generally August through November 2019, including Thanksgiving
    NORMAL PRICE: $1,000+
    AIRLINE(S): ANA, Asiana, China Airlines, United
    BUY BY: We think these fares will last less than 24 hours
     
  45. Arkadin

    Arkadin inefficiently efficent and unclearly clear
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    FROM: Newark (EWR)

    Basel (BSL) - $321

    Frankfurt (FRA) - $359

    Geneva (GVA) - $305

    Glasgow (GLA) - $350

    Lisbon (LIS) - $304

    Madrid (MAD) - $248

    Malaga (AGP) - $357

    Manchester (MAN) - $367

    Oslo (OSL) - $274

    Stockholm (ARN) - $302

    Zurich (ZRH) - $274


    FROM: New York City (JFK)

    Barcelona (BCN) - $294

    Basel (BSL) - $309

    Berlin (TXL) - $387

    Brussels (BRU) - $317

    Frankfurt (FRA) - $368

    Geneva (GVA) - $292

    Glasgow (GLA) - $339

    Lisbon (LIS) - $295

    Madrid (MAD) - $224*

    Malaga (AGP) - $343

    Manchester (MAN) - $371

    Oslo (OSL) - $243

    Prague (PRG) - $393

    Stockholm (ARN) - $271

    Zurich (ZRH) - $262


    FROM: New York City (LGA)

    Barcelona (BCN) - $292

    Basel (BSL) - $328

    Frankfurt (FRA) - $357

    Geneva (GVA) - $312

    Glasgow (GLA) - $357

    Lisbon (LIS) - $295

    Madrid (MAD) - $239

    Malaga (AGP) - $356

    Manchester (MAN) - $349

    Oslo (OSL) - $281

    Stockholm (ARN) - $309

    Zurich (ZRH) - $245


    FROM: Boston (BOS)

    Barcelona (BCN) - $256

    Brussels (BRU) - $369

    Copenhagen (CPH) - $262

    Frankfurt (FRA) - $343

    Glasgow (GLA) - $349

    Helsinki (HEL) - $227

    Lisbon (LIS) - $381

    Madrid (MAD) - $286

    Malaga (AGP) - $246

    Oslo (OSL) - $293

    Stockholm (ARN) - $282

    Venice (VCE) - $334


    * - nonstop / direct


    WHEN: Varies greatly by route. Generally September 2019 through April 2020, including Thanksgiving but excluding Xmas/NYE
     
    WC likes this.
  46. Why?Pokes

    Why?Pokes Take me back to the kine
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    Catching a red eye to A Whale’s Vagina tonight, will be the first time leaving Hawaii in a year.

    Already kinda dreading the crowds and counting down the days to our return trip. I went to Honolulu last month and it was fun but I couldn’t wait to come home.
     
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  47. Goose

    Goose Hi
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    Planning a two week trip to Europe.

    Would like one stop to be Munich during Oktoberfest. Will we “miss out” by only going to oktoberfest on weekdays instead of being there on a Saturday or Sunday?
     
  48. Arkadin

    Arkadin inefficiently efficent and unclearly clear
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    No
     
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  49. racer

    racer Yuma, where I work in software.
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    It’s called Oktoberfest, not Weekends in Oktober fest
     
    dahldennsull and Room 15 like this.
  50. Walt Disney

    Walt Disney #Dawgzy
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    CoastalOrange
    Did I read it right that I can exchange my money to Cuban currency at the Cuban Airport in Havana?

    Is it better to do it there or the Miami airport or no difference

    :dubioustrump: